Tanzania: Background and Current Conditions (DCR)

1 Europa Regional Surveys of the World. Africa South of the Sahara, 2008.
Order Code RS22781
December 20, 2007
Tanzania: Background and Current
Conditions
Ted Dagne and Nicolas Cook
Specialists in African Affairs
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Hannah Reeves
Research Associate
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Summary
Tanzania, an important U. S. ally in Africa, is a stable and important regional actor.
There has been a gradual increase in political pluralism, but Chama Cha Mapinduzi
( CCM ), the ruling party, remains dominant in government and parliament. Tanzania's
current president, Jakaya Kikwete, who previously served for ten years as Tanzania's
foreign minister, won 80.3% of the votes cast in the December 2005 presidential
election. Tanzania continues its pattern of steady real Gross Domestic Product ( GDP)
growth and has a low and stable inflation rate. The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts
that inflation will fall from an average of 7% in 2007 to 5.5% in 2008. This report will
not be updated.
Background
Tanzania, with an eastern seaboard on the Indian Ocean and a western border
abutting several of East Africa's Great Lakes, is a medium- sized poor country. Though
it is socially diverse, with about 125 ethnic groups, it has enjoyed general political
stability and national unity for about 40 years in a region wracked by civil wars, often
with ethnic dimensions, in neighboring Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique. Tanzania is a union formed in 1964 between
the mainland – a German colony and later a British protectorate formerly known as
Tanganyika – and the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, and several smaller islands. The
islands, which remain semi- autonomous with their own president and parliament, are
populated by peoples of mixed Arab and African descent, and almost all are Muslim. 1
CRS- 2
2 Europa Regional Surveys of the World. Africa South of the Sahara, 2008.
Tanzania's first president was Julius Nyerere, who led a one- party state that
nationalized key industries and created ujamaa, a rural, collective village- based
movement of " African socialism" and " self reliance." Ujamaa faced increasing popular
dissatisfaction, and was slowly abandoned in the 1970s and 1980s. 2 In 1977, Tanzania
repelled an invasion by the brutal Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin, and in 1979 intervened in
Uganda to overthrow Amin. Tanzania was active in opposing racist political systems in
South Africa and Rhodesia ( now Zimbabwe). Nyerere, who had a reputation as an honest,
humble, idealistic leader, retired as president in 1985, and became an elder statesman,
mediating peace processes in neighboring Burundi. He was succeeded by the president
of Zanzibar, Ali Mwinyi, who oversaw political reforms and a gradual transition to a
market economy, in part due to economic collapse brought on by ujamaa and centralized
economic management.
Politics
There has been a gradual
increase in political pluralism, but
the CCM remains dominant in
government and parliament, and is
periodically accused of subverting
the aspirations of opposition parties.
Opposition parties have reportedly
on some occasions been denied rally
permits, and their party members
detained, intimidated, and harassed,
notably during electoral periods,
according to human rights groups. In
April 2005, CCM offices on
Zanzibar were bombed. This event
followed the discovery of the body
of a missing CCM official, and the
Zanzibar Election Commission
( ZEC)' s ruling that the leader of the
Zanzibar- based Civic United Front
( CUF) party was ineligible to run for
the Zanzibar presidency. In the 2000
general elections, Zanzibar political
activists, notably those of the locally
dominant opposition CUF, accused
the CCM, and by implication the
government, of administering the poll in a manner biased toward the CCM. The election
was characterized by substantial violence between state security forces and opposition
supporters. In its 2004 human rights report, the State Department said it had been " free
and fair on the mainland, but... seriously marred by irregularities and politically motivated
violence on Zanzibar."
Tanzania at a Glance
Geography: East African coastal country;
Nearly one and a half times the size of Texas.
Population: 39.3 million ( 2007 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.09% ( 2007 est.)
GDP ( purchasing power parity): $ 29.6 billion ( 2006
est.)
GDP per capita ( PPP): $ 800 ( 2006)
External Debt: $ 4.6 billion ( 2006)
Major Exports: Gold, coffee, cashews, tourism,
manufactured products, cotton, cloves
Languages: Swahili ( official); English ( official,
used in business, administration, higher
education); Arabic ( Zanzibar); about 123 other
local languages, many Bantu- based
Religions: Christian 30%, Muslim 35%,
indigenous beliefs 35%; Zanzibar / islands over
99% Muslim
Literacy: Male, 77.5%; Female, 66.2% ( 2003)
Under- 5 Mortality: 165 deaths/ 1,000 live births
HIV/ AIDS adult infection rate: 8.8% ( 2003 est.)
Life Expectancy, years at birth:
Male, 49.4; Female, 52 ( 2007 est.)
Sources: CIA World Factbook 2007; World Bank
Development Indicators; and Ethnologue. com.
CRS- 3
3 The Norwegian Center for Human Rights ( NORDEM). The United Republic of Tanzania:
Presidential and Parliamentary Elections December 2005.
4 The Economist Intelligence Unit. Tanzania, December 2007.
5 The Economist Intelligence Unit. Tanzania, December 2007
In October 2005, Zanzibar held its presidential election. Amani Abeid Karume was
elected President with 53.2% of the votes cast, while opposition candidate Seif Hamad
received 46.1%. In the legislative elections, the ruling CCM took 31 seats, while the CUF
won 18 seats in the House of Representatives. Observers reported about election- related
violence and claims of electoral fraud. 3 The Commonwealth recommended an
investigation into the election related violence. The Zanzibar Electoral Commission
( ZEC) stated that the elections were free and fair. In December 2005, presidential and
legislative elections took place on Mainland Tanzania. CCM candidate Jakaya Mrisho
Kikwete won 80.3% of the votes cast in the presidential elections, while the CUF
candidate, Ibrahim Lipumba, won 11.7% of the votes cast. The ruling CCM won 207
seats, while the CUF took 18 seats in the National Assembly.
President Kikwete. Tanzania's current president, Jakaya Kikwete, previously
served for ten years as Tanzania's foreign minister. He is pursuing an agenda of political
continuity that builds on the achievements of Mwinyi and Benjamin Mkapa but also seeks
to generate greater economic growth and reform. He has also voiced a desire to resolve
political conflicts that have long affected Zanzibar internally and in its relations with the
mainland.
Economy. The Mkapa administration pursued a number of key economic reforms
and was generally seen positively by bilateral and multilateral donors, which have
provided substantial financial and technical support to Tanzania. Some of these reforms
included privatizations of state firms, on- going improvements to Tanzania's weak
infrastructure system, the creation of growing cell phone networks and increased Internet
access, and an increasingly robust and investor- friendly private sector, particularly in the
tourism, retail, gold and gems mining, transport, communication and agriculture sectors.
Tanzania reached its completion point under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor
Countries ( HIPC) Initiative in 2001, and has received partial debt stock reductions under
the initiative. Several donors have recently provided bilateral debt relief to Tanzania.
Tanzania continues its pattern of steady real GDP growth and its low and stable
inflation rate. The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts that inflation will fall from an
average of 7% in 2007 to 5.5% in 2008, and 4.5% in 2009.4 Despite its real GDP growth,
Tanzania’s economy largely fails to address the needs of ordinary Tanzanians ( i. e.,
healthcare, education, employment, and poverty- reduction). In recognition of this failure,
the MKUKUTA ( National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty) strategy has
been developed with the goal of raising economic growth and the reduction of poverty. 5
The price of gold— Tanzania’s main export— remains high due to the global market and
the weakness of the U. S. dollar. Tanzania maintains a substantial current- account deficit
that is likely to persist, but its income deficit is projected to shrink.
HIV/ AIDS. Tanzania faces a severe AIDS epidemic. Its HIV/ AIDS infection rate,
at about 8.8% ( 2003) is lower than that in southern Africa, but higher than those of its
CRS- 4
6 The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. 2007 Country Profile: Tanzania.
7 The State Department. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2006.
East African neighbors. Tanzania is estimated to have the 12th highest national infection
rate globally, with between 1.6 and 2 million HIV- positive persons, with work force- aged
and urban populations most hard- hit, mostly on the mainland. Zanzibar and the other
islands have an estimated infection rate of about 0.6%. In April 2005, however, the
National AIDS Commission ( TACAIDS) chair announced TACAIDS/ U. S. Agency for
International Development- funded survey data showing a decrease to 7% in infection
rates for Tanzania – though some estimates remain far higher. In 2000, Tanzania declared
AIDS to be a national disaster and later established TACAIDS and a separate Zanzibar
AIDS Commission ( ZAC). These entities design and administer national anti- AIDS
efforts, including programs implemented through local government HIV/ AIDS
committees. In August 2004, at the signing of an $ 87.9 million grant by the Global Fund
to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, President Mkapa announced that his
government would begin providing free anti- retroviral drugs ( ARVs) to AIDS patients.
In June 2005, the government announced a very ambitious goal of providing 100,000
patients with ARVs by late 2006, and of reaching 400,000 patients within the next five
years. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/ AIDS, UNAIDS, provides technical,
policy, public education, and financial assistance to TACAIDS and ZAC. Tanzania also
receives AIDS assistance from a variety of private AIDS foundations, and from the United
States. It is a “ focus country” under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. 6
Regional Role. Tanzania is a member, with Kenya and Uganda, of the East
African Community ( EAC), established by a 1999 treaty, which revived an earlier EAC,
defunct since 1977. The EAC Treaty provides for the creation of a range of regional
development, economic policy cooperation, trade, and political coordination initiatives
and entities. EAC members signed a customs union agreement in March 2004, which
began to be implemented in January 2005. Tanzania, a Southern African Development
Community ( SADC) member, is also cooperating with its southern neighbors in regional
economic development projects, notably in transport. Tanzania has also helped to
facilitate an end to the conflict in neighboring Burundi.
Human Rights Conditions7
Although the Tanzanian government is not reported to be responsible for any
politically motivated killings or disappearances in the past year, there have been several
instances of unlawful killings by policemen and prison guards. Police and prison wardens
are also accused of torturing and threatening suspected criminals. The police force lacks
funding and is plagued by corruption and the excessive use of force. Prison conditions
remain dismal, and the current number of prisoners exceeds the maximum capacity of the
country’s prison system by nearly 100%. Prisoners continue to contract ( and often die of)
malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/ AIDS, and cholera. Additionally, mob violence persists and
suspected witches continue to be killed. The constitutional right to freedom of speech is
for the most part respected, but freedom of the press is another issue entirely. Both the
Union government and the semi- autonomous Zanzibar government have seriously
compromised the media’s capacity to function independently and effectively, according
to some observers in the region. The government also suffers from corruption and
CRS- 5
8 [ http:// www. usaid. gov/ policy/ budget/ cbj2008/ fy2008cbj_ full. pdf]
9 Congressional Budget Justification, 2008.
transparency issues. Although freedom of religion is a constitutional right, Muslims in
Tanzania report being discriminated against in government hiring, education, and law
enforcement. Refugees are forced to live in camps or settlements and remain targets of
theft, abuse, and rape. Domestic violence against women is pervasive and rarely taken
seriously by authorities. Female genital mutilation remains widespread, although it is
prohibited by law. The trafficking of persons ( mostly girls) for forced labor and sexual
exploitation remains an issue.
U. S. Relations. U. S.- Tanzanian relations are cordial and friendly. The Bush
Administration’s bilateral policy priorities, according to its FY2008 Congressional Budget
Justification, 8 include pursuing of anti- terrorism cooperation to deny terrorist groups
sanctuary; providing assistance in security sector reform; helping Tanzania to further its
private- sector economic growth; strengthening democracy and political transparency;
assisting Tanzania to counter HIV/ AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; and providing
assistance in basic education. A principal objective in the education sector is providing
training to English, Math, and Science teachers. 9 U. S. concerns about terrorism in
Tanzania stems from the 1998 bombing of the U. S. embassy in Dar es Salaam, the
capital, by al Qaeda and from the alleged growth of radical Islamic views within
Tanzania’s large Muslim population. In addition, several Tanzanians are known to have
joined al Qaeda. The United States provides anti- terrorism and financial and immigration
fraud capacity- building assistance, and the U. S. Embassy maintains an emphasis on the
protection of U. S. citizens in Tanzania.
U. S. development assistance seeks to consolidate Tanzania's transition from a
socialist to a market economy, in part by fostering small enterprise development, farm
production, and agricultural producer organizations and market efficiencies, in order to
generate increased income earnings for citizens. It also supports biodiversity conservation
and natural resource management. Health aid focuses on capacity- building and
addressing diverse AIDS- related challenges, including prevention and care for AIDS
patients, blood system safety, and care for AIDS orphans. A Peace Corps contingent
carries out projects in education, natural resource management, and health, with an
emphasis on combating AIDS. Tanzania is eligible for trade benefits under the African
Growth and Opportunity Act, including textile and apparel benefits, and is a Millennium
Challenge Account " threshold country," making it eligible to apply for MCA assistance.
In September 2007, Tanzania signed a $ 698 compact agreement aimed at poverty
reduction, access to clean water, transparency, and anti- corruption efforts. U. S. assistance
to Tanzania has increased over the past several years. In FY2005, bilateral assistance
totaled an estimated $ 109 million, $ 137.5 million in FY2006, and $ 213.3 million in
FY2007. The Bush Administration has requested $ 341.4 million for FY2008.

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1 Europa Regional Surveys of the World. Africa South of the Sahara, 2008.
Order Code RS22781
December 20, 2007
Tanzania: Background and Current
Conditions
Ted Dagne and Nicolas Cook
Specialists in African Affairs
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Hannah Reeves
Research Associate
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Summary
Tanzania, an important U. S. ally in Africa, is a stable and important regional actor.
There has been a gradual increase in political pluralism, but Chama Cha Mapinduzi
( CCM ), the ruling party, remains dominant in government and parliament. Tanzania's
current president, Jakaya Kikwete, who previously served for ten years as Tanzania's
foreign minister, won 80.3% of the votes cast in the December 2005 presidential
election. Tanzania continues its pattern of steady real Gross Domestic Product ( GDP)
growth and has a low and stable inflation rate. The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts
that inflation will fall from an average of 7% in 2007 to 5.5% in 2008. This report will
not be updated.
Background
Tanzania, with an eastern seaboard on the Indian Ocean and a western border
abutting several of East Africa's Great Lakes, is a medium- sized poor country. Though
it is socially diverse, with about 125 ethnic groups, it has enjoyed general political
stability and national unity for about 40 years in a region wracked by civil wars, often
with ethnic dimensions, in neighboring Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo, and Mozambique. Tanzania is a union formed in 1964 between
the mainland – a German colony and later a British protectorate formerly known as
Tanganyika – and the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba, and several smaller islands. The
islands, which remain semi- autonomous with their own president and parliament, are
populated by peoples of mixed Arab and African descent, and almost all are Muslim. 1
CRS- 2
2 Europa Regional Surveys of the World. Africa South of the Sahara, 2008.
Tanzania's first president was Julius Nyerere, who led a one- party state that
nationalized key industries and created ujamaa, a rural, collective village- based
movement of " African socialism" and " self reliance." Ujamaa faced increasing popular
dissatisfaction, and was slowly abandoned in the 1970s and 1980s. 2 In 1977, Tanzania
repelled an invasion by the brutal Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin, and in 1979 intervened in
Uganda to overthrow Amin. Tanzania was active in opposing racist political systems in
South Africa and Rhodesia ( now Zimbabwe). Nyerere, who had a reputation as an honest,
humble, idealistic leader, retired as president in 1985, and became an elder statesman,
mediating peace processes in neighboring Burundi. He was succeeded by the president
of Zanzibar, Ali Mwinyi, who oversaw political reforms and a gradual transition to a
market economy, in part due to economic collapse brought on by ujamaa and centralized
economic management.
Politics
There has been a gradual
increase in political pluralism, but
the CCM remains dominant in
government and parliament, and is
periodically accused of subverting
the aspirations of opposition parties.
Opposition parties have reportedly
on some occasions been denied rally
permits, and their party members
detained, intimidated, and harassed,
notably during electoral periods,
according to human rights groups. In
April 2005, CCM offices on
Zanzibar were bombed. This event
followed the discovery of the body
of a missing CCM official, and the
Zanzibar Election Commission
( ZEC)' s ruling that the leader of the
Zanzibar- based Civic United Front
( CUF) party was ineligible to run for
the Zanzibar presidency. In the 2000
general elections, Zanzibar political
activists, notably those of the locally
dominant opposition CUF, accused
the CCM, and by implication the
government, of administering the poll in a manner biased toward the CCM. The election
was characterized by substantial violence between state security forces and opposition
supporters. In its 2004 human rights report, the State Department said it had been " free
and fair on the mainland, but... seriously marred by irregularities and politically motivated
violence on Zanzibar."
Tanzania at a Glance
Geography: East African coastal country;
Nearly one and a half times the size of Texas.
Population: 39.3 million ( 2007 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.09% ( 2007 est.)
GDP ( purchasing power parity): $ 29.6 billion ( 2006
est.)
GDP per capita ( PPP): $ 800 ( 2006)
External Debt: $ 4.6 billion ( 2006)
Major Exports: Gold, coffee, cashews, tourism,
manufactured products, cotton, cloves
Languages: Swahili ( official); English ( official,
used in business, administration, higher
education); Arabic ( Zanzibar); about 123 other
local languages, many Bantu- based
Religions: Christian 30%, Muslim 35%,
indigenous beliefs 35%; Zanzibar / islands over
99% Muslim
Literacy: Male, 77.5%; Female, 66.2% ( 2003)
Under- 5 Mortality: 165 deaths/ 1,000 live births
HIV/ AIDS adult infection rate: 8.8% ( 2003 est.)
Life Expectancy, years at birth:
Male, 49.4; Female, 52 ( 2007 est.)
Sources: CIA World Factbook 2007; World Bank
Development Indicators; and Ethnologue. com.
CRS- 3
3 The Norwegian Center for Human Rights ( NORDEM). The United Republic of Tanzania:
Presidential and Parliamentary Elections December 2005.
4 The Economist Intelligence Unit. Tanzania, December 2007.
5 The Economist Intelligence Unit. Tanzania, December 2007
In October 2005, Zanzibar held its presidential election. Amani Abeid Karume was
elected President with 53.2% of the votes cast, while opposition candidate Seif Hamad
received 46.1%. In the legislative elections, the ruling CCM took 31 seats, while the CUF
won 18 seats in the House of Representatives. Observers reported about election- related
violence and claims of electoral fraud. 3 The Commonwealth recommended an
investigation into the election related violence. The Zanzibar Electoral Commission
( ZEC) stated that the elections were free and fair. In December 2005, presidential and
legislative elections took place on Mainland Tanzania. CCM candidate Jakaya Mrisho
Kikwete won 80.3% of the votes cast in the presidential elections, while the CUF
candidate, Ibrahim Lipumba, won 11.7% of the votes cast. The ruling CCM won 207
seats, while the CUF took 18 seats in the National Assembly.
President Kikwete. Tanzania's current president, Jakaya Kikwete, previously
served for ten years as Tanzania's foreign minister. He is pursuing an agenda of political
continuity that builds on the achievements of Mwinyi and Benjamin Mkapa but also seeks
to generate greater economic growth and reform. He has also voiced a desire to resolve
political conflicts that have long affected Zanzibar internally and in its relations with the
mainland.
Economy. The Mkapa administration pursued a number of key economic reforms
and was generally seen positively by bilateral and multilateral donors, which have
provided substantial financial and technical support to Tanzania. Some of these reforms
included privatizations of state firms, on- going improvements to Tanzania's weak
infrastructure system, the creation of growing cell phone networks and increased Internet
access, and an increasingly robust and investor- friendly private sector, particularly in the
tourism, retail, gold and gems mining, transport, communication and agriculture sectors.
Tanzania reached its completion point under the Enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor
Countries ( HIPC) Initiative in 2001, and has received partial debt stock reductions under
the initiative. Several donors have recently provided bilateral debt relief to Tanzania.
Tanzania continues its pattern of steady real GDP growth and its low and stable
inflation rate. The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts that inflation will fall from an
average of 7% in 2007 to 5.5% in 2008, and 4.5% in 2009.4 Despite its real GDP growth,
Tanzania’s economy largely fails to address the needs of ordinary Tanzanians ( i. e.,
healthcare, education, employment, and poverty- reduction). In recognition of this failure,
the MKUKUTA ( National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty) strategy has
been developed with the goal of raising economic growth and the reduction of poverty. 5
The price of gold— Tanzania’s main export— remains high due to the global market and
the weakness of the U. S. dollar. Tanzania maintains a substantial current- account deficit
that is likely to persist, but its income deficit is projected to shrink.
HIV/ AIDS. Tanzania faces a severe AIDS epidemic. Its HIV/ AIDS infection rate,
at about 8.8% ( 2003) is lower than that in southern Africa, but higher than those of its
CRS- 4
6 The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. 2007 Country Profile: Tanzania.
7 The State Department. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2006.
East African neighbors. Tanzania is estimated to have the 12th highest national infection
rate globally, with between 1.6 and 2 million HIV- positive persons, with work force- aged
and urban populations most hard- hit, mostly on the mainland. Zanzibar and the other
islands have an estimated infection rate of about 0.6%. In April 2005, however, the
National AIDS Commission ( TACAIDS) chair announced TACAIDS/ U. S. Agency for
International Development- funded survey data showing a decrease to 7% in infection
rates for Tanzania – though some estimates remain far higher. In 2000, Tanzania declared
AIDS to be a national disaster and later established TACAIDS and a separate Zanzibar
AIDS Commission ( ZAC). These entities design and administer national anti- AIDS
efforts, including programs implemented through local government HIV/ AIDS
committees. In August 2004, at the signing of an $ 87.9 million grant by the Global Fund
to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, President Mkapa announced that his
government would begin providing free anti- retroviral drugs ( ARVs) to AIDS patients.
In June 2005, the government announced a very ambitious goal of providing 100,000
patients with ARVs by late 2006, and of reaching 400,000 patients within the next five
years. The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/ AIDS, UNAIDS, provides technical,
policy, public education, and financial assistance to TACAIDS and ZAC. Tanzania also
receives AIDS assistance from a variety of private AIDS foundations, and from the United
States. It is a “ focus country” under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. 6
Regional Role. Tanzania is a member, with Kenya and Uganda, of the East
African Community ( EAC), established by a 1999 treaty, which revived an earlier EAC,
defunct since 1977. The EAC Treaty provides for the creation of a range of regional
development, economic policy cooperation, trade, and political coordination initiatives
and entities. EAC members signed a customs union agreement in March 2004, which
began to be implemented in January 2005. Tanzania, a Southern African Development
Community ( SADC) member, is also cooperating with its southern neighbors in regional
economic development projects, notably in transport. Tanzania has also helped to
facilitate an end to the conflict in neighboring Burundi.
Human Rights Conditions7
Although the Tanzanian government is not reported to be responsible for any
politically motivated killings or disappearances in the past year, there have been several
instances of unlawful killings by policemen and prison guards. Police and prison wardens
are also accused of torturing and threatening suspected criminals. The police force lacks
funding and is plagued by corruption and the excessive use of force. Prison conditions
remain dismal, and the current number of prisoners exceeds the maximum capacity of the
country’s prison system by nearly 100%. Prisoners continue to contract ( and often die of)
malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/ AIDS, and cholera. Additionally, mob violence persists and
suspected witches continue to be killed. The constitutional right to freedom of speech is
for the most part respected, but freedom of the press is another issue entirely. Both the
Union government and the semi- autonomous Zanzibar government have seriously
compromised the media’s capacity to function independently and effectively, according
to some observers in the region. The government also suffers from corruption and
CRS- 5
8 [ http:// www. usaid. gov/ policy/ budget/ cbj2008/ fy2008cbj_ full. pdf]
9 Congressional Budget Justification, 2008.
transparency issues. Although freedom of religion is a constitutional right, Muslims in
Tanzania report being discriminated against in government hiring, education, and law
enforcement. Refugees are forced to live in camps or settlements and remain targets of
theft, abuse, and rape. Domestic violence against women is pervasive and rarely taken
seriously by authorities. Female genital mutilation remains widespread, although it is
prohibited by law. The trafficking of persons ( mostly girls) for forced labor and sexual
exploitation remains an issue.
U. S. Relations. U. S.- Tanzanian relations are cordial and friendly. The Bush
Administration’s bilateral policy priorities, according to its FY2008 Congressional Budget
Justification, 8 include pursuing of anti- terrorism cooperation to deny terrorist groups
sanctuary; providing assistance in security sector reform; helping Tanzania to further its
private- sector economic growth; strengthening democracy and political transparency;
assisting Tanzania to counter HIV/ AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria; and providing
assistance in basic education. A principal objective in the education sector is providing
training to English, Math, and Science teachers. 9 U. S. concerns about terrorism in
Tanzania stems from the 1998 bombing of the U. S. embassy in Dar es Salaam, the
capital, by al Qaeda and from the alleged growth of radical Islamic views within
Tanzania’s large Muslim population. In addition, several Tanzanians are known to have
joined al Qaeda. The United States provides anti- terrorism and financial and immigration
fraud capacity- building assistance, and the U. S. Embassy maintains an emphasis on the
protection of U. S. citizens in Tanzania.
U. S. development assistance seeks to consolidate Tanzania's transition from a
socialist to a market economy, in part by fostering small enterprise development, farm
production, and agricultural producer organizations and market efficiencies, in order to
generate increased income earnings for citizens. It also supports biodiversity conservation
and natural resource management. Health aid focuses on capacity- building and
addressing diverse AIDS- related challenges, including prevention and care for AIDS
patients, blood system safety, and care for AIDS orphans. A Peace Corps contingent
carries out projects in education, natural resource management, and health, with an
emphasis on combating AIDS. Tanzania is eligible for trade benefits under the African
Growth and Opportunity Act, including textile and apparel benefits, and is a Millennium
Challenge Account " threshold country," making it eligible to apply for MCA assistance.
In September 2007, Tanzania signed a $ 698 compact agreement aimed at poverty
reduction, access to clean water, transparency, and anti- corruption efforts. U. S. assistance
to Tanzania has increased over the past several years. In FY2005, bilateral assistance
totaled an estimated $ 109 million, $ 137.5 million in FY2006, and $ 213.3 million in
FY2007. The Bush Administration has requested $ 341.4 million for FY2008.